Ten-year-old Josiah Marcelino lives within walking distance of Tacony Creek Park, but had never ventured onto its nature trails. This July, through the Bikes & Trails Camp, presented by YJR (Yo! Just Ride) Outdoors and the Tookany/Tacony Frankford (TTF) Watershed Partnership, Marcelino was able to experience the park in a brand-new way: via bicycle.
“I learned to ride a bike at Bike Camp in just one day!” he said. “Going on the trail was really fun, and even though it was bumpy, I really enjoyed seeing and exploring the park.”
All throughout Philadelphia, kids are learning how to ride bikes on park trails thanks to YJR Outdoors. The programs provide everything necessary: bicycles, helmets and instructors.
Temple undergrad Emelin Tomax-Cinto assisted for some of the Bikes & Trails Camps in Tacony Creek Park this summer. Watching kids gain confidence on bikes while discovering parts of the park, like the bird murals along the creek, she saw their relationship to the park change.
“They could see that this nature around them is a resource they have — that they could even go there with their families and friends,” she said. “This space is for them.”
YJR Outdoors was founded in 2023 by Philly native John Raisch, who grew up riding bikes and exploring Pennypack, Lorimer Park and the Wissahickon. Inspired by his daughter, he started a youth cycling program 12 years ago.
“There was a tremendous demand for people asking me to teach their kids to ride a bike or who wanted help creating trails,” Raisch said. “I saw an opportunity to introduce people to bike-centric and trail-centric adventure activities, and to lower the barriers and be their guide.”
I saw an opportunity to introduce people to bike-centric and trail-centric activities … to lower the barriers and be their guide.”
— John Raisch, founder, YJR Outdoors
Raisch loves bikes and wants more Philadelphians on two wheels, and also sees them as a means of accessing the outdoors. Once kids are moving through a park, they’re learning safety, trail etiquette, plant identification and wildlife observation.
“Our motto is: ‘Adventure, advocacy, action,’” Raisch said. “By teaching kids how to ride bikes in parks, we introduce them to stewardship, and then they want to become advocates.”
That philosophy is particularly important in Tacony Creek Park, where Raisch frequently encounters kids who live across the street but have never been inside. He believes Philadelphia’s parks should be equally accessible to children in every neighborhood.
On the first day of camp with the Ferko Recreation Center, only one kid knew how to ride a bike. Many others were hesitant. By the second day, they’d gotten the hang of it.
“They were riding their bikes like they’d been doing it for years! Seeing their peers riding bikes helped them be more confident,” Tomax-Cinto said.
Tomax-Cinto didn’t have much experience riding a bike as a kid, but YJR Outdoors counselors helped reacquaint her with the basics. “I was able to ride on the trails with the kids, and I loved it,” she said. “That was my first time actually riding a bike through the whole trail, and it was really nice and peaceful.”
Raisch sees the work as part of a larger effort to build a stronger outdoor and cycling culture in Philadelphia. Philadelphia has an expanding network of trails, such as the Circuit Trails. What’s needed, he says, is the cultural infrastructure that makes traditional youth sports accessible: coaches, programs and opportunities for kids to learn.
For kids who live near Tacony Creek Park, YJR Outdoors is building that infrastructure one mountain bike at a time — and welcoming them into their neighborhood’s green space.
